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The motions to be debated in the First Round of this year’s Sutton Coldfield’s Schools Debating Competition have been revealed today.

Students from secondary schools across Sutton Coldfield are busy preparing for the annual competition, now in its ninth year, which will take place on Thursday 10 March and will be hosted by Arthur Terry School – last year’s winners.

The first round motions will be debated with proposing and opposing schools as follows:

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls vs Plantsbrook School

“A DNA database for all would be the greatest deterrent to crime in history”

Birmingham Metropolitan College vs Bishop Walsh Catholic School

“Schools prepare students for a life of tests rather than the test of life”

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School vs Fairfax School

“Genetically modified foods are the only way to successfully feed 6 billion”

John Wilmott School vs The Arthur Terry School

“Politics should be based on policies not personalities”

Also revealed today is the Competition’s Head Judge, West Midlands’ mover and shaker, Sir Bernard Zissman. Zissman is a former Lord Mayor of Birmingham and senior City Councillor.

Andrew Mitchell MP, who founded and continues to Chair the Debating Competition, said, “With these tough motions laid down the first round promises to be a challenging and interesting one for our debaters.

“I know that Arthur Terry are working hard on this year’s competition and I am very much looking forward to being there on 10 March to hear our local debaters tackle these contentious issues.”